Here at the Health Management Institute of Ireland (HMI), we are excited to be welcoming you, our European colleagues to the HOPE Agora 2017. We are looking forward to the prospect of a lively few days of stimulating and animated debate and discussion around the theme of

Innovation in Hospitals and Healthcare

At the Agora this year we will have a varied range of speakers, all of whom are at the top level of their chosen field, to address delegates. The Minister for Health and the Secretary General of the Department of Health will also speak at the Agora.

The focus of the theme will be on innovations in organisation and management that the Exchange Programme participants have encountered during their stay in their host country. With such a broad theme, there are countless possibilities to be discovered. With innovations occurring in a diversity of areas for example: patient care; clinical work; nursing; human resources; information systems; drug management; laboratory operations; finances; quality management and patient involvement, there is significant scope for the transfer of learning.

120 healthcare professionals from 18 European countries participated on the 2017 programme. Participants on the programme are due to report back the results of their 4-week stay abroad. Participants will focus on the elements of their stay they found inspiring and offer a comparative analysis with challenges faced by their home country. Without judging the system of the visited country, participants will describe, based on their experience abroad, what they would like to see implemented in their own country, region, institution, or ward. As is customary, prizes will be awarded to the three best presentations as judged by the HOPE National Coordinators.

This year, the Health Management Institute of Ireland is proud to be hosting such an established and highly regarded European-wide event which for decades has actively sought to improve the quality of care and performance of European hospitals.